Ground breaking research confirms that brand information conveyed during direct conversation
is the strongest influencer in buying behavior

A research study led by SDSU marketing professor, Dr. Andrew Baker, indicated that
in spite of the vast popularity of online marketing, consumer buying behavior was
more likely to be influenced by word-of-mouth conversations between people sharing
strong social ties than any other form of communication.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Marketing Research, was the first
of its type to test the theory that consumers are more likely to purchase a product
when information is conveyed to them by a trusted friend, relative or colleague in
an off-line conversation rather than through an online source.

Baker and the other researchers determined that buying decisions focusing on a specific
brand were most heavily influenced when word-of-mouth occurred offline between closely-connected
individuals. Similarly, people’s intentions to pass along brand information by word-of-mouth
were strongest when the original conversation happened offline between closely-connected
individuals.

Even with the billions of dollars spent each month on online advertising, blogging
and other internet messaging, our findings indicate that direct conversation has the
greatest impact on influencing intentions to purchase a particular brand.” said Baker.
“A lot of social media marketing today tends to emphasize triggering online brand
conversations between people who may not be closely connected to one another. Our
results underscore that marketers shouldn’t lose sight of the importance of real-world
conversations because, ultimately, people focus more closely on specific brands when
the dialogue is offline.”

Drs. Naveen Donthu and V. Kumar, both professors of marketing at Georgia State University,
joined Baker in conducting the research study.